Judge: Verdict in Laquan McDonald cover-up trial should come Dec. 19

Judge: Verdict in Laquan McDonald cover-up trial should come Dec. 19

Laquan McDonald

CHICAGO (AP) – A judge will analyze dashcam video of the fatal police shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald and review reports to determine if she believes three officers lied to protect the officer who shot him.

In a weeklong trial, prosecutors argued that reports written by the former Officer Joseph Walsh, Officer Thomas Gaffney, and ex-Detective David March contained the same falsehoods in a concerted effort to shield Officer Jason Van Dyke from prosecution. The three are charged with obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and official misconduct.

Defense attorneys countered that the officers weren’t lying and that if they checked the wrong boxes in their reports, that doesn’t mean they committed crimes.